Unit Code: FES701

Unit Name: Environmental Forestry

Description: The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to environment forestry, history of the environmental movement, early environmental writing and advocacy, woodland values, structure and benefits of Woodlands, valuation of intangible ecosystem services of forests, ecology of woodland culture and ecological principles, woodland silvics, ecological interactions, ecological edge and ecological niche, forest ecological factors, ecological forestry, and establishing new trees. The course further provides information on forest and human values, basic values vs forest values, social values of forest environments, typologies of Bengston, Rolston and Schwartz, harmonious and integrated uses of forests, changing perspective of woodland economics, woodland Stewardship, Multiple Forest Management (MFM), and factors responsible for the poor implementation of MFM at the stand level. The course provides an insight into urban forestry, trees for the amelioration of the environment, trees for controlling air, sound and chemical pollution, phytoremediation, role of urban forestry in recreation and aesthetics, aesthetics in forest environment, amenity values, Trees Outside Forests (TOF) classification and contribution of TOF, and trend and dynamics of TOF. The course also covers topics on wildlife management including the concept of free living, captive, domesticated and feral animals, IUCN Red list categories, wildlife ecology, food and nutrition, home range and habitat use, ecological concepts of ecological pyramids, ecological niche, carrying capacity, ecological concepts of density, competition and facilitation between species, prey-predator relations, population and consumer resource dynamics, climate change and wildlife, wildlife conservation and management, counting animals, types of wildlife conservation, historical development of wildlife parks, sanctuaries and forest parks around the world, zoning as a conservation strategy, captive wildlife in zoos and safari parks, man animal conflict, mitigating human-wildlife conflict, fences, trenches, walls, lure crops, repellents, translocation and compensation, and agencies involved in wildlife conservation and management. This course further introduces the students to the concept of ecotourism, types and importance of ecotourism, ecotourism resources, identifying and describing ecotourism products, ecotourism and community participation, interrelationships between ecotourism and indigenous peoples, ecotourism practices namely transportation, facilities, services, eco tourist, eco?labeling and green?washing, best practice guidance, certification, developing an ecotourism product, ecotourism standards, international and local certification and indicators, ecotourism related organisations, and ecotourism in public policy and planning.

Learning Target Outcomes:

Prerequisite: N/A

Prerequisite Sentence: Student must be enrolled in the programme.

Credit Point: 15

Offered In: Semester 1